Mekong states sign on to UN policy on drugs
With the Kingdom in the middle of a controversial “war on drugs”, six Mekong countries agreed on May 10 to adopt a regional drug policy that puts health care first, and mandates police and judicial cooperation. Ministers and delegates from Cambodia, China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand met with representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime over three days, culminating in yesterday’s agreement, billed as “a coordinated regional response to drug production, trafficking, and use”. Jeremy Douglas, regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific for UNODC, explained that as the region integrates more, efforts to combat the effects of drugs must become more coordinated. The new regional policy will focus on health-based solutions, law enforcement cooperation to address porous borders and judicial cooperation.
